An Empty Seat
by coffeeinanebula
Summary: AU: We met on a train ride.
1. Chapter 1

There was only one empty seat in the carriage and the woman in the seat beside it didn't look like she welcomed company. While her things were neatly arranged under her seat and by her feet—only taking up her space—the frown on her lips and the slight glare in the furrow of her eyebrows were entirely unwelcoming. With no other options, he slid the bag from his shoulder and stuffed it under the seat before he sat down.

She looked up from her book, long and slender fingers easing the cover shut with one of her fingers as a bookmark. Glasses perched at the end of her nose, she stared at him. He smiled apologetically.

"Only empty seat. It's not taken, is it?" He hoped it wasn't, dreading having to cross to the next carriage in search of a seat.

"No," she answered after a moment, the word drawn out. Something flickered across her face, but it disappeared before he could acknowledge or decipher it.

"Oh. Good." He shrugged and settled back into the mildly uncomfortable seat, glancing out the window at the passing cityscape. They'd be free of it soon with hundreds of miles of countryside between the train and their destination. "Are you going all the way to New York?"

"Yes." Short, simple answers. He nodded and loosely crossed his arms, watching as she turned back to her book, a small frown appearing on her lips.

Andy wasn't looking forward to the almost three day long trip, but he was eager to get out of LA for a bit. Now that his divorce was finalized, he felt free in a way. Not that he didn't miss his wife—ex-wife—and kids, but to have that stress removed from his life was freeing. The woman beside him was still and silent as he drifted off in his thoughts, day quickly turning to evening and then night as the train sped on.

"What's your name?" he finally asked when dinner had come and gone and she hadn't had a bite to eat.

She looked up from her book for the second time since he had met her, her frown reappearing and deepening. He worried this trip had just lengthened. She adjusted her glasses and slid a bookmark between the pages of her book before she closed it completely.

"Sharon," she answered, piercing green eyes narrowing a little behind her glasses.

"It's nice to meet you, Sharon. I'm Andy." He flashed her his most charismatic grin—the one that had won his wife over—and was surprised to see her expression lighten.

"Andy. It's nice to meet you." She nodded her head and started to turn back to her book, but his voice halted her movements.

"You don't mind me sitting here, do you?" Though he had already been there for hours, he didn't want to make her unnecessarily uncomfortable. He knew he could find a seat elsewhere.

"No, when I'm really unhappy about something, people never have to ask." She shifted in her seat and folded her hands on top of the book, her fingers loosely intertwining.

He didn't quite know how to respond with that; he nodded and cleared his throat. "Are you traveling alone?" He saw the concern flicker across her face and quickly tried to backtrack. "I don't mean… Shit, I'm sorry. I'll stop getting up in your business. If it means anything, I'm a cop and not a creep."

"You say that like the two can't overlap." She shifted again and moved her jacket aside. He watched as she pulled a badge from her waistband and held it up. "Captain Raydor with the SFPD."

He pulled his own badge out and held it up too. "Lieutenant Flynn, LAPD." He paused and a small smirk crossed his lips. "You sound like someone from IA."

"I am, actually. Head of SFPD's department." They both replaced their badges and she slipped her book into the bag at her feet. "How could you tell?"

"I've had enough run ins with your LAPD counterparts." He shrugged it off, more relieved to have her talking instead of her stoic silence.

She raised an eyebrow. "For the record, I am traveling alone. My daughter has the lead in The Nutcracker. My husband was supposed to join me but…" She trailed off and he noted the lack of a ring on her finger. "We've been separated for two decades. It was stupid to think he'd come."

She cleared her throat and looked out the dark window. Even the lights in the train had been dimmed to accommodate the passengers actually trying to get some rest. He watched her for a moment and then settled back in his seat, deciding he'd try to get some rest while he could.

After the first stop just before dawn, the train emptied considerably and Andy considered moving, but Sharon's head was on his shoulder and he didn't want to wake her. By the time breakfast made it's way around, she was up and talking again. Most of the unfriendliness he had sensed the day before was gone.

He learned about her two children and he spoke about the two kids he had left behind. He could tell she started to judge him when he opened up about his recently ended marriage, but she clammed up almost immediately and didn't speak until after lunch.

"You'll make an effort with your kids, won't you?" She spoke softly, her gaze focused on her intertwined fingers.

He looked up from his phone, his brow furrowing. "Why wouldn't I? Just because my relationship with their mother didn't work out doesn't mean I want to ignore them. They're my kids. I love them."

"Some people don't," she replied after several moments of silence.

It took him a moment to put the pieces together. "Your husband?"

She laughed and he was surprised to hear such a bitter sound come from the beautiful woman beside him. She clenched her hands briefly and looked up at him. They had known each other for just over a day and he had bared more of his soul to her than he had bared to his wife in the past year.

"He left 20-some years ago for the first time. Came home drunk, we fought, he wasn't there the next morning. So it became more and more common. He was gone more often than not and left me with two small kids." Her voice was the same soft tone as before and it almost sounded distant this time, even as she looked at him with eyes swimming in tears.

"I'm so sorry, Sharon."

She waved his apology away. "Finally I told him just to stay away. Legal separation. We couldn't divorce of a few reasons, so we just… stopped." She wiped at her eyes and took a deep breath. "I told him that Emily would want him there. He's been to a small handful of her recitals and she's been dancing since she could walk."

He watched her sadly; the similarities between Sharon and his wife were a sharp pain in his chest he couldn't ignore.

"It's been twenty years and I thought enough was enough. I made the decision that if he could drag himself to New York sober to see his daughter, maybe there was something worth fighting for." She was silent for several moments and he quietly waited to see if she would continue.

"But he didn't show up," he finished, his voice just as soft, utterly gentle.

She shook her head and her tongue darted out to wet her lips. The pale pink lipstick that had been there when he met her was long gone. "No. I called my lawyer when we stopped the last time. He'll get the papers to my husband and it could all be over by the time I get back to California."

"It's the right decision," he offered after a moment of hesitation. "You've given him more than enough chances to turn his life around and now it's time to think about what's best for you."

He reached out and rested his hand over hers, giving it a reassuring squeeze. She gave him a watery smile. Silence settled over them again and for the first time, Andy realized how comfortable the silence was between them. It wasn't tense or uncomfortable, it just was.

His hand rested over hers for several minutes until she pulled it back to cautiously dab at her eyes, careful not to smear any of her remaining makeup.

"You never said why you're going to New York," she murmured, her eyes returning to him. They were still watery and he could tell she was trying to put up the front that she was okay. He wondered how often she had done that over the years.

"Family," he answered with a half shrug. "Now that my divorce is done, I thought it would be a good time to get away and see my brothers."

"Sounds relaxing."

"You don't know my brothers. Someone is likely to end up with a black eye or two." He laughed and his hand returned to hers. This time, she squeezed his hand and managed a small laugh too.

The rest of their trip was more lighthearted, trading stories of their kids and work. When the train inevitably pulled into Pennsylvania Station, Andy found himself momentarily at a loss for what to do. They had formed an easy friendship and though they lived a few hours from each other, the chances of seeing her again were slim.

They gathered their bags and stood, stretching out tired limbs and mutually deciding that they were too old to be traveling like this. They entered the station laughing and stood by each other for several minutes.

"I hope you enjoy your daughter's ballet. I'm sure she'll be brilliant." He smiled and adjusted his hold on his bag.

"She will," Sharon responded, no hint of modesty in her expression as she smiled back, "but thank you. Enjoy beating up your brothers."

"Oh, yes." He grinned and she winked as they both took small steps away from each other. "It was nice to meet you, Sharon. Have a safe trip back."

"You too, Andy. Thank you."

They watched each other for a moment more before she turned—reddish hair swinging over her shoulder—and started for the doors with her bag rolling behind her.


	2. Chapter 2

Despite the distraction caused by his family, Andy's thoughts constantly wandered back to the IA Captain. Regrets knocked around in his head. I should have asked for her number, where she was staying, anything. The usual end to this train of thought was that she could have easily asked him for the same information and she hadn't. He understood: she was married and pushing toward divorce, the last thing she would want is someone else. Even if he just wanted to continue as a friend.

It took a handful of days before his brothers retreated to their favorite bar and urged Andy to go with them. He valued his sobriety too much to accept, and instead found himself wandering around Manhattan, the Lincoln Center brightly shining down the street. He pulled his coat around himself more and glanced up at the cloudy sky that was doing everything it could to snow. He shivered and continued walking until a poster flapping in the wind caught his attention.

It was a large advertisement for the New York Ballet's yearly production of The Nutcracker. It immediately brought his thoughts to Sharon and he found himself climbing the well lit steps in search of the box office.

All logic told him it was stupid, that she likely wouldn't be here and he was wasting both his time and his money. With a sigh, he pushed the thoughts away and clung to the small hope that he would see her.

He bought his ticket and took his seat without a single glimpse, but his attention was drawn to the stage when the ballet began. He instantly recognized the young woman dancing Clara; the dark hair and features—even from the distance—looked like Sharon. She was a good dancer and he found himself enjoying it as the story progressed, but the back of his mind was still hoping to see Sharon again.

Disappointment kept him in his seat when the dancers took their bow and the lights came up. "At least it was a good show," he told himself as the rest of the audience filed out and he slowly rose to his feet to follow.

He huddled into his coat as he returned outside, snow falling lightly to the ground. It blurred the Christmas lights Manhattan was decorated in, but he couldn't stop to enjoy them with the disappointment settled so heavily on his shoulders.

He started back down the steps, absently folding the ticket stub in his pocket, hands stuffed there to keep warm. He heard shouting but couldn't make out any distinctive words, so after a quick glance, he continued walking.

"Andy! Andy, wait!" He stopped and looked again, this time able to make out a red figure hurrying toward him, hair and scarf flying out behind her in the wind. "Andy!"

"Sharon?" He made his way back up the stairs and she met him at the top, standing a few stairs above him which put her at his height. "Sharon, hi!"

"What are you doing here? I thought you were staying with your family?" She was breathless from rushing to him and shivered a little in the snow.

"I was. I am. They, uh, went out drinking and I thought I'd find something better to do." He shrugged, his hand waving as he talked with the ticket stub still between his fingers.

"Did you see the show?" She smiled up at him and he was taken aback by how beautiful she looked.

A dark green scarf was tucked into her red jacket, a matching red hat barely keeping her hair contained. Flecks of white settled in her hair and on her jacket and her eyes lit up as she smiled. She was stunning.

"I did," he finally remembered to answer. "It was absolutely stunning."

"It was!" She laughed and wrapped her arms around herself for further warmth. "I saw it last night, but I wanted to surprise Emily tonight afterward." She paused, another shiver running through her as she looked up at him. "Do you have any plans tonight?"

"None. My brothers will be out drinking until the early hours and I'd rather not deal with them until they're at least hungover." He joined her on the top step and turned so he blocked the wind and snow as it started blowing harder.

"Would you like to join us for dinner? Nothing too fancy. Just something warm, really." She blushed and he didn't know if it was from her invitation or the chilly air.

"Are you sure you don't mind? I'd hate to intrude on you and your daughter." He smiled apologetically, trying to ignore how the disappointment had so quickly evaporated upon seeing her.

"I don't mind at all and neither will Emily. Come on, let's go back inside where it's warm." She reached out for his hand and he took her gloved one without a second thought, allowing her to lead him back into the window-filled room of the Lincoln Center.

They warmed up near the inner wall, eyes occasionally glancing toward the windows to watch the snow continue falling. Sharon had slipped off her gloves and unbuttoned her coat, but her cheeks still held their healthy flush. After a few minutes, the young woman from the ballet hurried over to them. The similarities between mother and daughter were even more obvious when they stood beside each other in front of him.

"Emily, honey, this is Andy. The one who kept me company on the train, remember?" Sharon smiled at her daughter and nudged their shoulders together. Emily grinned.

"Yeah, yeah. I'm Emily, Sharon's daughter." She gave him a once over with enough of a threat in her gaze to show him how protective she was of her mother. Emily offered her hand to Andy and he shook it, a brief smile appearing.

"I invited him to dinner with us tonight since his family abandoned him."

"They didn't abandon me-" Andy tried, but Sharon shot him a look and he fell silent. "You don't mind, do you?" he asked Emily instead.

"Not at al! Mom needs more friends." Emily laughed and Sharon rolled her eyes as she guided her daughter into the snow, Andy following beside them. "What are you thinking for dinner?"

"What about that Italian place down the road you mentioned?" Andy perked up at the mention of Italian and Sharon glanced back at him. "Is that okay, Andy?"

"Sounds great. I always like to see how it compares to my mother's cooking." He grinned and Emily hailed a cab for them.

Dinner was an entertaining affair, one of the best dinners Andy could remember having, but it felt like too soon when the bill was paid—he insisted on paying and though Sharon initially insisted, she eventually gave in. They all stood and made their way back outside where the snow had calmed down and now fell in light flakes. Both women shivered and he quickly hailed a cab for them.

"Thank you for dinner," Sharon told him, a small smile tugging at her lips. Wind tugged her hair across her face and she clumsily bushed it away with a gloved hand.

"It's no problem. Thank you for letting me interrupt your family time." He smiled and looked at Emily. "And thank you for a great show."

Emily blushed and shook her head. "No, thank you. We wouldn't be anywhere if we didn't have a good audience." She tugged her coat closer just as a cab pulled up to the curb.

"I'll let you two get home and out of the snow," he told them.

"Thank you," Emily said again as she climbed into the cab.

Sharon stood by the open door, one hand resting on the snow-covered hood of the cab and the other on her purse. She smiled at Andy and he smiled back, an odd ache in his chest at the thought of her walking away.

"Mom." Emily said more but he didn't catch more than the first word, but Sharon ducked her head into the cab to listen. When she straightened up, a blush covered her cheeks.

"According to my daughter, I should give you my number," she laughed. "I'm sorry, I haven't really done this," she gestured between them with her hands, "in a while. But if you'd like my number?"

Andy didn't know what 'this' meant, but he wasn't going to turn her number down. "Yeah, of course. One sec." He fumbled in his pocket for his phone and slipped his gloves off so he could type. "Okay, shoot." She smiled as she gave him her information, shivering a little in the cold. She didn't look like she was ready to leave, but he felt badly about keeping her in the cold. "I'll give you a call so you have mine," he offered.

"Thank you, Andy. Maybe we'll see each other again before we leave." Her smile turned into a smirk as her fingers fiddled with the zipper on her jacket.

"I'm here until the end of the week, so it's definitely possible." He shrugged and smiled.

"You have my number. Goodnight."

He stepped back as she followed her daughter into the cab. A moment later, it pulled away from the curb and he watched Sharon leave for a second time. This time, though, he had her number and he wouldn't rely on pure chance to see her again.


	3. Chapter 3

He was surprised to have two messages from Sharon when he returned to the house, the first thanking him for dinner and the second asking him to coffee the following day. He accepted as soon as his fingers had enough feeling to type out a response and they continued texting for several hours. Finally, she didn't respond and a glance at the clock told him that she had probably fallen asleep. It didn't take him long to do the same.

They managed to see each other every day the rest of the time they were in New York, sometimes with Emily or Andy's brothers tagging along. He found he genuinely enjoyed her company and they realized early on that they had the same train back home.

They met at the train station a week and a half after they first met. Andy had already said his goodbyes to his family and he stood aside as Sharon said goodbye to her daughter. She was teary-eyed when she followed him on to the train, wiping at her eyes as she sank into her seat and let out a breath.

"You okay?" he asked softly, pulling a pack of tissues out of his bag for her.

She nodded as she took it, but she didn't respond until after she had blown her nose and tucked the used tissue into her pocket. "She's my baby," she murmured, "and I don't know when I'll see her again."

He nodded his understanding and rested his hand over hers. "I'm sure you'll see her soon. Isn't she coming to California for your birthday next month?" It was a passing comment they had made earlier that week and Sharon looked up at him, obviously surprised he had remembered.

"She is, yeah." The surprise seemed to have switched her thoughts for the moment and she offered him a watery smile.

"What?" he asked when she continued staring at him. "I thought it might be a good idea to suck up to an IA Captain. Maybe you could say a few nice things about me to the LAPD department?" He laughed and she rolled her eyes.

"Depending on the size of your file, it might not do any good," she teased, laughing again.

"Damn. I'll have to go to sensitivity training anyway." He smiled and she pulled out her book again, shifting to get comfortable in her seat as she opened it.

He watched her for a few moments before he turned to his phone. They were quiet until the first stop late that evening; Sharon finally put her book down and stood up, Andy stirring awake and looking at her.

"Everything okay?" he asked immediately.

She smiled down at him and nodded. "Conductor said we'd be here for about half an hour. I thought I'd stretch my legs and get some… Well, as fresh of air as possible. Do you want to join me?"

"Sure, I'll be right out. I want to hit the bathroom first." She moved out of the way so he could stood up and he moved the opposite direction as her.

He stepped off the train not long later and looked around for Sharon. In the busy train station, there was much he could see so he pulled out his phone and called her. Two voicemails later, he decided she had left hers on the train. Sighing, he pushed his way through the crowd to the opposite side, unable to help scanning for her reddish hair.

It didn't take him more than a few minutes before he was tired of getting jostled around by the crowd and decided to return to the train. He stayed close to the wall and passed by the pay phones, pausing long enough to wonder how many places still had working pay phones. He walked by a hallway that branched away from the main terminal and was surprisingly quiet. Eager for a little less human contact for a bit, he ducked into it and followed it a few feet. He didn't make it far before yelling reached his ears.

"I don't know why you're here! You might as well go home now; neither of us want to see you."

He knew he should turn around and leave, but the voice was familiar despite being distorted by the acoustics in the hallway.  
"Sharon… Come on." The name caused him to take a few steps closer to the voices; he found Sharon and a larger man at the end of the hallway.

"You had your chance, Jack. You had several chances. I'm done." She stopped and took a deep breath. "You'll find divorce papers waiting for you at home. I'm done."

He took a step toward her and Andy moved around the corner in case he tried to do something. Instead, she held up her hand and stopped him.

"I'm done," she repeated, her voice firm and dangerous. Even Andy felt his blood run cold and he understood how she could be in IA.

"I'm sorry, honey. I screwed up, but Emily's still performing. I can still watch a show." Her husband was desperate. Andy recognized it all too well.

"Neither of us can stop you from doing that." She shrugged and stepped away from him. "But I'm tired of you running in and out of my life. I'm cutting you free. You won't have to worry about your 'nagging wife' anymore." She shook her head and walked toward Andy; he didn't have enough time to get around the corner before she reached him. "Andy?"

"Uh. Hi." He swallowed and cleared his throat, hands finding his pockets.

"I'm… I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm just going back to the train now." She walked around him, but he reached out and gently grabbed her arm.

"Hey, wait a second. I'll walk you back." He didn't know why she was apologizing, but he could see the tears forming in her eyes. "You're small enough to get lost in the crowd."

A small laugh spluttered out and a tear leaked down her cheek before she nodded. Andy heard no sign of her husband behind them, but he wrapped his arm around her waist and guided her back into the terminal.

She was quiet until the train started to move again, and then quiet for a while longer. She opened her book, but he could see how rarely the pages turned and knew she wasn't actually reading. He thought about asking what was on her mind, but she didn't seem like she wanted to talk and he respected that. He knew he had seen more than he should have anyway.

It was dawn by the time she spoke again. He had dozed off despite himself, but a glance at her told him she hadn't done the same.

"I'm not sure which is worse," she sighed, her eyes sliding closed. He could see the exhaustion on her face and the tear tracks that hadn't faded. He thought some of them looked recent. "The fact that he showed up late, or if he hadn't shown up at all."

He wasn't sure how to respond and remained quiet for a moment. "It sounds like he's shown up late most of your life," he said gently. "Look, I've been where he is."

"No, you're—" She tried to interrupt him, but he took her hand and shook his head.

"That's exactly how I was as an alcoholic. Ask my ex-wife. If you want my honest opinion, you've given him way too many chances and it's past time to cut ties with him."

She ran the fingers of her free hand through her hair and then rubbed at her eyes. "Those wheels are already in motion. I guess it'll be over before long."

"It takes some getting used to," he admitted, "and it's not easy. But you're better off without his baggage. Someone as… incredible and intelligent and beautiful as you shouldn't have to put up with an asshole like him." He paused a moment, worried he had crossed a line. When she said nothing, he continued. "Clearly he didn't know what he had."

"Andy…" She licked her lips and shifted in her seat so she was turned toward him, their hands still intertwined and resting on the armrest between them.

"I mean it," he told her. "All of it."

"Thank you," she sighed, the briefest of smiles tugging at the corner of her lips. "No one has said anything like that to me in a while."

"Well, it's time someone starts." He smiled and hers returned, a little bigger this time. "Now, how about I get you a glass of wine from the cart and we'll figure out what to do for the rest of the ride?"

A soft laugh fell from her lips and she nodded. He was momentarily distracted by how beautiful the sound was. "I can't say no to that. Especially after those compliments."

"That was the idea," he teased, squeezing her hand before he let go and stood up.

He made his way to the next carriage and returned a few minutes later with a cranberry soda and a glass of wine. As the sun continued rising behind the train, he watched her relax as they talked, but it didn't take long after the wine was gone for her to fall asleep. He moved the armrest and she leaned into his side, his arm snaking around her waist. He looked out the window as she slept, caught up in the feeling of having a woman in his arms again. He felt like he hadn't held someone like this since things were good with his wife and wondered if the same was true for Sharon.

All too soon, their train reached its destination. Both Sharon and Andy were slow in gathering their bags and climbing from the train; they lingered on the edge of the terminal in subdued conversation.

"I'd love to have dinner with you sometime," he finally said after several minutes talking about no real topic. "I can drive out to San Francisco."

"That would be great," she replied, smiling widely, "but you don't have to drive all the way up there. We can meet somewhere in the middle, like Fresno."

"Yeah, sure." He smiled too and adjusted his hold on his baggage. "I'll give you a call and we can find a night that works."

"Sounds good. I look forward to hearing from you." She set her bag down and stepped forward, leaning up to press a soft kiss to his cheek. "It's a date."

"Have a safe drive back to San Francisco. Are you sure you're okay making that drive right now?" He looked her over as she picked up her bag again.

"Oh, I'll be fine. I've made the drive plenty of times before." She smiled once more and pulled her bag onto her shoulder. "I should get going, though."

He nodded and let out a breath. "I'll call you about dinner. Text me when you're home? Just so I know?"

She laughed and nodded as she stepped away from him. "Of course, Andy. I'll talk to you later." She waved as she turned around and disappeared into the crowd within seconds.

Andy tried to catch sight of her but she was gone. Shaking his head and unable to help his smile, he grabbed his things and started toward the exit, already trying to figure out a date and a place for dinner.


	4. Chapter 4

**Three Months Later**

* * *

Andy sighed as he walked into the Murder Room, stopping behind his desk to drop his keys and wallet into the top drawer. Provenza looked up and raised an eyebrow, but Brenda walked in before he would make a complaint.

"That woman!" She growled, untying her pink trench coat as she walked behind Andy. She stopped by her desk and whipped around to face them.

"Chief?" Andy asked hesitantly.

"That new IA woman. She's absolutely…" She trailed off and growled again, her hands shoving down into her pockets. "She's been here two days and she's already poking her nose where it don't belong."

"New IA woman?" Provenza repeated. "What, did McAllister finally retire?"

"Yeah, he did. And he left us with this… infuriating…" She stopped again and unlocked her office door. "If she comes in here, make up some excuse." With that, her door and blinds closed.

Andy raised an eyebrow as he sat down and looked across the room at his partner. "Do you really think she's that bad?"

Provenza shrugged. "I haven't heard anything about a new officer, so who knows."

By mid-afternoon, rumors were swirling about the newbie. Whispers of "Ice Queen" and "Wicked Witch" filtered through the ranks of officers, finally reaching Major Crimes. Provenza laughed when he heard them and Gabriel rolled his eyes.

"I heard she gave six different officers sensitivity training today alone." Provenza shook his head and crossed his arms as he leaned back in his seat. "And as the head of IA, she can apparently do that. She's a coldhearted Ice Queen."

"Anyone in IA has to have a vendetta against cops. You don't become a professional tattle-tale for no reason," Andy added. He briefly thought of Sharon but quickly pushed the thoughts away; three months hadn't lessened his feelings. What kind of person didn't call and ignored a dinner invite?

"She's just a bitch. Reminds me of some of my ex-wives." Provenza grumbled quietly to himself for a moment before he grabbed his crossword off his desk. "As long as she stay the hell away from here."

"God, let's hope so," Andy agreed. "Anyone want coffee?" He pushed his chair back from his desk and stood up, glancing around to see a few nodding heads from the team.

He started toward the break room, pausing as he rounded the corner and saw someone ahead of him round the next one. A sense of familiarity rushed over him and he hurried forward, making it just in time to see Sharon step into the elevator. Several emotions slammed into him at once and he didn't move as he watched the floor numbers creep up toward IA's floor. It was all the confirmation he needed.

"Shit," he breathed out, setting his coffee mug on the edge of the drinking fountain as he pushed open the door to the stairs.

He took them two at a time and was out of breath by the time he reached the upper floor. He didn't pause for breath and followed the well-known path through the offices. He finally reached a door bearing no nameplate, but he knew it had to be Sharon's now that McAllister had retired. He knocked once and got no response, so he pushed the door open.

"What the—?" She stopped short when she looked up and saw who had entered, but Andy continued to her desk once the door was shut behind him.

"What the hell? Took the words right out of my mouth." He pressed his hands against her desk and looked at her, trying to ignore the sight of withheld tears and rapid movement of her chest.

"Andy…" She swallowed and shook her head, quickly standing up. Her chair flew back and hit the filing cabinet behind her.

"Don't 'Andy' me. It's been three months. You couldn't call? Text? Hell, even email?" His voice was filled with the emotions he had spent the better part of two months quashing.

"That's a two way street, you know," she spat back. "But now I understand why I didn't' hear from you. Why would you want to go out with a coldhearted bitch?" She shook her head and waved her hand toward her door. "Get out, Andy. I have work to do."

He stood in shocked silence, unsure how to process his words being thrown back at him like that. He felt his previous anger slip away like he was a deflated balloon. She was the opposite across the desk from him, her body rigid and her eyes almost emotionless behind her glasses. It contrasted against the tears still trying to overflow.

"Get out," she repeated.

"Sharon, I'm sorry. I had no idea it was you… I just… I'm sorry."

"No, it's clear what you think of people working in Internal Affairs. Now I really have work to do. Please leave." Her voice was cold and Andy knew he had really screwed up.

"I'm really sorry, Sharon. Come on, I know you. I know you're not like that. You're a warm-hearted, caring, amazing woman. I saw you with Emily, I saw you with Jack. God, I even saw you with that baby in Pennsylvania Station." His hands remained pressed against her desk as he watched her, his eyes pleading for her to understand. "I'm sorry."

"Please just go." Her voice softened and she refused to look at him.

"Let me take you out to dinner tonight. I owe you and I owe you an explanation. Please?" He lowered his voice as well, but kept his eyes trained on her. He was able to see when her shoulders sagged.

"Fine," she sighed. "Only because you owe me." She finally looked up at him, her eyes narrowed a little.

"What time are you done here?" He pushed forward, hoping she wouldn't change her mind.

"I'll be done by five," she answered shortly.

"Five, okay. I'll meet you up here at five." He silently prayed they wouldn't get a case, or that he would at least be able to disappear long enough to take her to dinner. He wouldn't' screw this up too. She nodded and he watched her for a moment longer before he left her office and retreated to the murder room.

Provenza jumped as soon as he walked into the room, eyes narrowed. "What the hell took so long? And where's the coffee?" Andy stared dumbly at his partner for a moment, brow furrowed in confusion. "Coffee. That's where you went, isn't it?"

"Oh, uh. Yeah. Issue with the coffee machine. Sorry." He shrugged halfheartedly as he made his way to his desk.

"No, the coffee machine was working just fine earlier," Buzz interjected and Andy's eyes fell shut for a moment.

"Flynn, get over here." His partner all but dragged him back toward the break room and looked at him expectantly, saying nothing more.

"What?" Andy finally asked, allowing his annoyance to show.

"What was that about? You say you're getting coffee and then you disappear for fifteen minutes? What happened?" He stared at him, arms crossing over his chest.

"I had to take care of something. Look, why is it any of your business?" He shook his head and tried to move around Provenza.

"Is it that damn woman again? It's been three months, Flynn, let her go. Move on. Look, let's go out tonight." Provenza raised an eyebrow, but Andy immediately shook his head.

"I have plans."

"Plans? You haven't had plans in months unless you're with your kids."

"Yeah, and? I have plans tonight." Andy huffed and successfully stepped around his partner.

"You're a pain in my ass," Provenza grumbled, following Andy back into the murder room.

Andy dodged his partner's questions about his plans the rest of the day and he was all too relieved when the clock struck five and they still had no case. Quickly excusing himself, he grabbed his things and retreated to the elevator, Provenza hot on his tail. Ignoring him, he stepped into the elevator and pressed the button for IA's floor.

"Where are you going?" Provenza demanded immediately.

"None of your business," Andy countered, trying to ignore his blossoming nerves. It was going about as well as it was with ignoring his partner.

"Your plans involve IA?" The older man paused for a moment and then suddenly moved in front of Andy. "Wait, didn't you say this woman you met worked with IA?"

Andy nodded hesitantly, his eyes focusing on his partner. "San Francisco PD," he answered.

Provenza was quiet for several moments and Andy started begging the elevator to move faster. "Shit! The Ice Queen is her! She's the Ice Queen! Damn it, Flynn! You can't date IA! You can't date her!"

Finally, the elevator dinged and the doors slid open. Andy stepped out and shot a look at his partner. "Well, I am."


	5. Chapter 5

The IA offices were quiet and mostly empty. It made it easier for Andy to spot Sharon outside her new office as she shut the door and turned around. He offered her a small smile and weaved his way through the remaining desks until he reached her. She returned it after a moment, but he noticed how it was nowhere near the smile he was used to seeing from her.

"There's a new restaurant around the corner I thought we could try. I've heard it's romantic..." He shrugged a little and watched her, knowing just how lucky he was to have this chance with her.

"Romantic?" she repeated, and her eyebrow arched up briefly over her glasses.

"Uh, that's just how I've heard it described," he added quickly. "We can go somewhere else if you'd prefer." He would be fine with fast food as long as she said yes.

"No, it's fine. I'll follow you in my car." She adjusted her purse on her shoulder and glanced around the room. He couldn't pinpoint what her expression was when she turned back to him.

They were both quiet until after their meal was ordered and the waitress left. Sharon sighed and swirled her wine in her glass, all but refusing to look at Andy.

"I'm sorry," he told her. "I shouldn't have said those things and I should have called you." He kept his gaze on her, watching as she took a slow sip of wine and left a faint imprint of her lipstick on the rim of the glass.

"I should have called too." She shook her head and set her glass down, her hands folding on the table. "But transferring to a new job..." She took a deep breath. "I thought being closer meant we could... explore whatever this is, only to be greeted by your cruel words."

"And that was incredibly stupid of me to say. None of it is true of you, Sharon." He stared at her until she met his gaze. "You are incredible. You're loving and warm and kind, and from what I've heard, you're damn good at your job."

"If that's what you believe, then where did 'cold-hearted bitch' come from?" Her voice still held obvious bitterness that caused him to inwardly cringe.

"Because I heard rumors about you and I'm an idiot," he answered after a moment. "Rumors created by people who don't know a thing about you and are honestly missing out." He detected the slightest change in her expression, but at least it was a small step in the right direction. "Can we start over with you in LA?"

She was quiet for several moments, absently fiddling with the ring on her right hand as she looked down at their empty table. He was silent, giving her time to think while hoping for the best.

"Okay," she finally agreed, "because I could use a friendly face."

Andy smiled immediately. "I promise you can count on me. Friendly face, romantic dinner, unwinding after a long day." He reached across the table and rested his hand over both of hers.

She said nothing for another moment. "I'm officially divorced. As of last month. He signed the papers and then the positioned here opened up, so I applied for a transfer. Starting over at this age seems ridiculous... But here I am."

"Have you finished unpacking?"

She laughed a little and shook her head; Andy withdrew his hand after squeezing hers gently. "No, not even close. I signed the lease two days before I started working and I've been busy since then."

"If you want any help, just let me know. Put me to work." He flashed a smile that briefly turned into a grin.

"You're one of the only people in the city that will talk to me, so I think I'll take you up on that offer." She couldn't help but smile in return. "As long as you don't ignore me for the next three months..."

"I can take you out to dinner again tomorrow to make sure that doesn't happen," he offered, his voice filled with sincerity.

"Why don't we do Chinese at mine and you can help me unpack?" she countered and he nodded.

"I'm down, as long as you don't write me up or we don't get a case." He shrugged and leaned forward in his seat.

"Thank you, Andy." Her voice suddenly dropped down to a softer tone that took him aback.

"For what?"

She was at a loss for words for a moment, her mouth slightly parted open. "For being a good friend, even when we barely knew each other."

"You don't have to thank me," was all he said. "Just enjoy dinner with me."

She started to respond until their waitress returned with their food, placing it between them before she left them alone again. Their evening took a considerably better turn as they ate, and Andy insisted on following her home to make sure she got there safely.

They stood in the hallway outside her condo, her purse and keys dangling from her fingertips. He smiled and took in the surroundings, somehow finding Sharon at home there.

"Do you want to come in?" she suddenly offered, gesturing to her door with her key-filled hand.

"Oh, uh. Sure," he stammered, nodding and watching as she unlocked the door and stepped inside.

He followed her, still watching as she flipped on lights and left her shoes, jacket, and purse on a stack of boxes by the door. The further they walked into her condo, the more boxes and haphazard stuff he found.

"I'm sorry about the mess." She sighed and looked around the room, her hands coming to rest on her hips. "Do you want something to drink? I have bottled water and... that's it, actually."

"I'm fine." He left his jacket on the box by her stuff and returned to what he guessed was the living room, carefully nudging a box over so he could sit down.

Sharon returned and moved the box to a desk across the room, immediately taking the spot next to him. She settled back into the couch and he shifted so he could see her, noticing the exhaustion that was briefly visible.

"How are you doing?" he asked gently. "You've had a hard few months..."

She shook her head and slipped her glasses off to rub at the bridge of her nose. "It feels like they've dragged by and happened in the blink of an eye," she admitted. "I just want to get settled down somewhere and have a home again."

He wrapped an arm around her and she settled into his side, her head coming to rest against his shoulder.

"If you need any help, don't hesitate to ask," he murmured, his hand absently running up and down her arm.

"Thank you." Her voice was just as soft and he squeezed her gently. "I don't know what I'd do without you."

"You'd be fine, you know. You don't need me."

"But I like your company." She lifted her head to look at him and he was taken aback by how sincere her eyes were.

"I like yours too." A smile slowly spread across her lips and remained, bringing one to Andy's lips as well as he watched her.

"Would you do me a favor while you're here?" She asked softly, and he immediately nodded. "That box by the desk is too heavy for me to move and I need it back in my bedroom..."

"Do you want me to move it now?" He glanced from the box to her, trying to read the myriad of emotions in her eyes.

"If you don't mind..."

"Not at all." He stood up and easily lifted the box. She led the way back to her room where there were considerably less boxes, save for two as her night stands and a few in the closet. "Where do you want it?"

"Closet is fine," she answered, watching his backside as he lowered the box to the ground and turned around to face her.

She immediately flushed at being caught staring, but he only grinned and gave her a once over.

"Anything else you want me to move tonight?" he asked, his eyes lingering on her well-fitting skirt before he met her gaze.

"That's all." She stepped closer and tilted her head up so they were inches apart, their gazes locked.

She made the first move, closing the distance between them to press their lips together. She rested her hand on his neck and he kept his to himself for a moment. When their kiss didn't break, he placed his hand on her hip and gently pulled her closer, his lips moving against hers. Finally, they parted for breath, eyes fluttering open until green met brown.


	6. Chapter 6

Sharon woke the following morning to pre-dawn light coming through her bedroom window, the curtains pushed aside and useless against the weak sunlight. She stretched her arms above her head as a warmth around her registered in her still-sleeping mind. She blinked her eyes open to see Andy asleep beside her, his arm firmly around her waist. A smile crossed her lips and she checked the time before she settled into him, allowing her head to rest against his chest. He stirred and held her closer, but didn't wake. With still a few hours before she had to get up for work, she allowed her eyes to close. Andy felt comfortable beside her and it didn't take long before she drifted back off to sleep in his arms.

Her alarm woke her a few hours later, causing Andy to finally wake as well. He groaned loudly beside her and she felt him roll over, pulling the warmth and blankets from her. She pouted sleepily but sat up instead of taking the blankets back. Her glasses were on her face by the time Andy was awake enough to grumble, "It's too damn early…"

A soft laugh fell from Sharon as she slid out of bed, allowing her hand to caress Andy's arm as she moved. "I'm sorry," she murmured, a yawn quickly following. She was quiet for a moment in thought. "You're welcome to stay and sleep in… I won't kick you out just after sunrise."

He shook his head and sat up, raking his fingers through his hair and disheveling it further. "No, I should get home. Shower and change, things like that," he murmured and she could still see the sleep in his eyes.

"If you're sure. Do you… want breakfast before you leave?" She shifted beside her bed, fingers fiddling with the hem of the shirt she had pulled on before they fell asleep the previous night. She felt they had crossed the line of a one night stand, and she wasn't sure where this encounter now fell.

"I don't want to impose…" He looked up at her and smiled at the sight. She only wore her shirt and he could see a glimpse of her black underwear the she moved. "I can make breakfast for you while you get ready," he offered instead.

"Oh. Only if you want to." She looked surprised for a moment and he smiled again. "Um, everything should be in the kitchen. Batter and all that. Just shout if you need anything. She watched as Andy nodded and pulled his boxers on before disappearing into the hallway.

They parted ways an hour later, Andy returning home to change before work. Sharon's thoughts were occupied the entire way into her new office and she was grateful to have the privacy as she sank into her chair behind her desk, the blinds and door closed. She knew her team was busy and most were still a little iffy about her, so she didn't expect the knock on her door nearly an hour after arriving.

"Come in," she called after a moment, her pen tapping against the stack of paperwork on her desk.

She looked up to see Andy walk in with two cups of coffee and a sheepish smile. "This is for screwing up coffee this morning. I thought you might want it after getting up so early. I know I needed it." He laughed a little and set the cup on her desk, careful to avoid the stacks of files.

"Oh, you didn't have to do that," she picked up the cup and took a sip, a smile crossing her lips, "but it's perfect. And I think the coffee maker did more damage to you." She couldn't help the laugh that followed her words; Andy's laugh was too contagious.

"I wanted to, and you don't seem to be complaining," he teased. Sharon rolled her eyes and wrapped both hands around the cup as she leaned forward on her desk.

"I'm not interrupting you, am I? I can go back down to my own floor." He laughed again and she shook her head.

"No, just paperwork. Although if you have work to do, that might be best. You might raise some eyebrows if you're up in IA for too long without a write up and your partner will complain, at least." She smiled as she referenced Provenza, the many objections Andy had made about him the previous night sticking in her head.

"Oh, he can shut it. I will need an excuse if I'm going to be up here more often." He looked thoughtful for a moment and Sharon watched him, her eyebrow arching up briefly.

She knew it was dangerously close to defining what their relationship was and was becoming and she wasn't sure how she felt about that. The flutter in her stomach tried to combat how she felt.

"Are you going to be up here more often?" she asked carefully, trying not to let her tumultuous emotions show on her face.

"I'd like to be. If you'll let me, that is." He shifted his weight as he stood on the other side of her desk, his hand holding his cup of coffee close to his chest. He took a sip, but he didn't look away from her.

"I'd like that too," she agreed after a moment, her eyes slowly looking him over. Despite their surroundings, she found herself thinking all too easily about the previous night in her bed. It caused a flush to rise on her cheeks that she tried hard to ignore. "As long as we… take it slowly."

He nodded immediately. "I can do that. Whatever you're comfortable with, Sharon." He smiled and she returned it after a brief moment. "Are we still doing Chinese and unpacking tonight?"

"If your'e up for it. I could use the help." She tilted her head a little and took another sip of her coffee.

"I'll be there." He smiled and poked her blinds aside so he could peek out. "I should get going. I'll grab the Chinese and meet you there around…. Seven?"

"Seven sounds fine. Thank you, Andy." She held the coffee up toward him as she thanked him and took another drink.

"My pleasure. See you later." He grinned and walked out of her office, the door closing firmly behind him.


End file.
